The board of Carroll Shelby International, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: CSBI) has announced today that production is ramping up for the first shipment of Ford Mustang GTs, which are in transit to be transformed into Shelby GT350s at its Shelby American subsidiary in Las Vegas.

In addition, the company continues to grow its Shelby Performance Parts division with products for the 2005-2011 Ford Mustang, GT500 and Shelby GT.

"I still show up 50 years later, guiding and directing this great Shelby American team in Las Vegas that you've grown to know and trust," said Carroll Shelby, founder of Shelby American. "I've brought in John Luft, who has been president of Shelby Licensing for the past decade. He will be responsible for leveraging these companies in support of the one Shelby brand."

Over the past six months, Carroll Shelby International introduced Shelby Nation, distributed a new merchandising catalog and built a parts business. "We've retooled our production lines in Las Vegas to focus on the new GT350 and the Super Snake, beefed up our Shelby Performance Parts business and looked for ways to integrate all the units in a more cohesive way," stated Mr. Luft.

"Now that Ford is beginning to turn out the 2011 Mustang GT and GT500, we can't wait to start putting our latest cars on the road. The future is bright at Shelby American."

Nice! On Monday, my friend Soph came by with his GT500; you should see that engine! I really liked the “old school” manual shifter. Several of my elderly neighbors complained about the rumbling noise from the car but as a Shelby fan, I loved it!

2
posted on 04/21/2010 7:32:54 AM PDT
by 12Gauge687
(Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice)

I’m trying to think of any of Shelby’s contemporaries that are still around. Zora’s gone, and so is Smokey. Not too many giants left. I guess guys like Saleen, Rousch and Lingenfelter have picked up that torch for the most part.

Rumbling noise? More like music! The town we moved to has a dirt race track with Friday night races. The past three weeks we’ve been very lucky the wind was out of the north so you could hear them run!

Back in the 60's, Hertz used to rent the original Shelby Mustang. Guys would go rent one, take the rental insurance, go to the track and run the heck out of them. Fender rash from a guardrail? No problem, it's covered.

John was a very nice guy. Back around 1995-96, a friend of mine was building a 400 small-block for a C3 Corvette and couldn't decide which set of heads and cam to buy. I mentioned the available stroker kits that would take his engine up to 420 cubes or so, but he wasn't convinced.

I called Lingenfelter's company to see if they had a brochure that covered the 400. John answered the phone himself and spent a half-hour on the phone, listening to my friend describe his project and giving suggestions. The man really loved his work.

You'll get no argument from this Mustang owner. I still kick myself for passing up a deal on one of the OHC 6-cylinder cars back around 1981 or so. You see very few 1st-gen Firebirds these days, even at car shows.

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